Courage… Scheduling Improv 21 Jun 2011 Listening to Krista Tippetts' interview with musician Bobby McFerrin, it first surprised me that he ever considered joining a monastic order, and that the main attraction was the silence! He…
Baby Boomers… Beginning Again? 18 Jun 201118 Jun 2011 Does it feel as though you're always starting over? I'm beginning new projects, new rounds of old projects, new teaching quarter. Therefore, clients and students are doing the same; some…
Advertising… Friday Flick: Flashmob on Recycling 17 Jun 2011 Can you imagine if every gesture of conservation and kindness received such a welcome? Do it anyway.
Books… If You Ask Advice from an Author 15 Jun 2011 If you ask 22 author friends for advice, they'll write you a whole book! Steve Silberman had been reporting on professionals with autism/Asperper's and became an expert on such neurodiversity,…
Advertising… Your Brain on Ads 14 Jun 201114 Jun 2011 Take a therapist who trained her daughter to watch media, including ads, with critical attention. Now imagine this daughter, Maya Cueva--already a journalist while still a teenager--not only applying that…
Books… How Do I Know? 6 Jun 2011 A friend asked today, "How do I know if anyone wants to read what I'm going to write?" Great question! Here are my first three thoughts about that: 1) You…
Change the World… Friday Flick: Virtual Choir 3 Jun 2011 We're so glad Eric Whitacre did not make it as a pop star. Here's a TED talk on his composing and creating influences: Mozart and a fan on YouTube. It's…
Books… Rhyme Time 2 Jun 20112 Jun 2011 Children's book editors conventionally whine about rhyme. It's so hard to write tight in rhythm and rhyme, they'd rather not brave it. Then they have children of their own, and…
Academic Writing… My Favorite Kind of Payday 31 May 2011 In my introductory college skills class this quarter, a student told me about repeatedly sabotaging his final Naval promotion because at that level, he'd be required to write reports galore. Writing…
Art Books… Book Surgeon 30 May 2011 "Book doctor" may be one of my roles, but you should meet The Book Surgeon! More than a typical altered book artist, Brian Dettmer literally carves books into new designs,…
Academic Writing… Cultured Men Healthier and Happier 25 May 201124 May 2011 A Norwegian study has suggested that people who attend cultural events are healthier and happier, and that men may benefit most. Norwegian support for the arts already stands on the assumption…
Blogging… Inertia 24 May 20117 Jun 2011 You remember inertia: a body in motion tends to remain in motion; a body a rest tends to remain at rest. This blog has been a rest a few weeks,…